10 January 2025 – Singapore, Singapore – Integra Partners, a leading venture capital firm, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are excited to announce the launch of a new program supporting early-stage, women-led technology startups across South and Southeast Asia. This program will include a facility that aims to invest in emerging female founders building companies offering inclusive digital finance and other essential services supporting traditionally underserved consumers and small businesses. The new program builds on Integra’s partnership with USAID’s Digital Invest program, which works with investment fund managers and digital infrastructure providers to expand access to inclusive digital financial services and internet connectivity in emerging markets.

Aligning profit with purpose – empowering women entrepreneurs

Integra Partners is dedicated to investing where profit meets purpose. With USAID’s support, Integra designed and launched the Win With Women initiative, a regional business acceleration program providing investment readiness support for early-stage women-led technology startups across Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. To build off Win With Women’s initial success, Integra is launching a self-sustaining Singapore-based financing facility to support high potential women-led companies with early stage funding, mentorship, and market positioning With small investments of up to US$250,000, the facility will support women-led and/or women-focused startups that seek to unlock economic and financial inclusion opportunities for underserved consumers and small businesses. The portfolio will focus on access to digital financial services that improve livelihoods, create new jobs, and other critical services targeting working class consumers. This facility aims to be the first step in catalysing longer-term financing for selected startups.

“Through the current program, we’ve met with over 200 women-led or women-focused startups and we’re so excited to be able to provide support in a more concrete way via mentorship and funding with this program extension. We’ll also be inviting the senior female investors that we’ve met along the way to come along on this journey with us to mentor and guide the startups – because we want this to be a transformational program for the Southeast Asia ecosystem,” said Jennifer Ho, Partner at Integra Partners.

“Integra Partners has been an invaluable partner under USAID’s Digital Invest program, a flagship initiative under the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI),” states Christopher Burns, USAID’s Chief Digital Development Officer and Technology Division Director. “Integra Partners embodies the United States government values of digital financial inclusion, gender equity and representation, and equitable access to life changing services for underserved consumers in emerging markets. We’re thrilled to support Integra’s fund in improving livelihoods and driving economic growth across South and Southeast Asia by leveraging the incredible potential of high growth startups in the region.”

With financing from USAID’s Gender Equity and Equality Action Fund, this initiative also intends to support Integra Partners’ upcoming Fund III, a fund investing in inclusive digital finance-enabled technology companies across South and Southeast Asia.

Integra Partners invites potential investors, partners, and interested stakeholders to reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

About Integra Partners

Integra Partners is a Singapore-based venture capital firm with $150 million in assets under management, investing across five main themes that leverage technology and financial services: SME enablement, financial inclusion, healthcare, agri-food, and the environment and climate.

About USAID

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the United States’ government agency that leads international development and humanitarian assistance efforts to partner countries. We work together with individuals, communities, and countries around the world to improve everyday lives. USAID efforts provide humanitarian assistance, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, advance economic opportunities, and help achieve progress beyond programs.

About Digital Invest

Digital Invest is a USAID blended finance program and a flagship initiative under the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI). Digital Invest partners with impact-focused investment fund managers, internet infrastructure developers, and other private sector companies to advance digital financial services and internet connectivity for un- and under-connected communities in emerging markets. Launched in 2022 under the U.S. State Department’s Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership, the program currently includes nine partners launching 13 digital finance focused-funds. Digital Invest provides catalytic capital and technical assistance to these and other fund managers and intermediaries raising capital for digital finance and internet connectivity in emerging markets.